Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-21
LOST AND FOUND.
\ story of tho 1rrontier.
BY JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.

II BY JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.
ID To that fair and fertile district of the
State of New York, now known as Niagara
County, there came in the early years of
&Ahe present century hardy settler, Guy
]RDanvers, with his family, and located near
what is new known as the Ridge Road.
The region was then an almost unbrokcn
forest. There was no other settler within
Two miles; there was no village within ten
kniles; and SO sparse and scattered was the
population that each hardy pioneer had to
rely upon himself in the dangers and
eroubles Of his situation.
"a The family of Danyers consisted of him
Sell, his wife, and one child. Danvers and
mis- wife were of the middle age, had seen
&&much sorrow and adversely in Connecticut,
whence they had removed to their new
home, and had followed five dear children
10 the grave. The sixth and last, the dar-
{ ling OF their henrts, alone survived, and
&8Fas with them in their wilderness home.
Little Pick, as he was called, Che was named
*or the Revolutionary patriot, Timothy
Pickering) was at this time but z years
pld; a laughing, blue-eyed, golden haired
child, bright and intelligent beyond his
wears, and won NIL hearts by his cunning
hnd precocious ways.
M Many Indians still inhabited this region,
although not hostile 10 the white settlers.
Small parties of them had sometimes
passed the Danyers cabin, and the little
kamily had become accustomed to their
&ppearance. One day in the spring, tall
Soung Indian came slowly out of The woods,
And paused near the door. Mr.. Danvers
hccosted him in friendly manner, using
the few native words of welcome that he
had learned. The reply was in language
that the settler at once understood to
1mean-"sick, very sick" 1t was then
|easily seen that the visitor was suffering
with severe fever. He accepted the invi-
3Station to come into the cabin and lie down;
3Eand there he lay for three weeks before he
gas able to walk again. Mrs. Danvers
szzwas skillful and experienced nurse, and
had brought with her stock of medicines.
sIJnder her care the Indian slowly recovered.
|He talked very little, and his impassive
l5face hardly showed the trace of human
||wemotion; not even when little Pick would
&put his little white hand into the big brown
q one of the other, and play with the beads
land feathers of his dress. Beyond the
sfacts that his name was Kondiarock, that
zShe was Mohawk who had fingered here
sSwhen his tribe removed to Canada, be-
cause he liked this country, and that he
#roved between the lakes, without any fixed
hoine, he had nothing to tell. When at
last he had recovered, his leave e-taking
was abrupt and thankless. One morning
when the family had risen, they found
that be had departed during the night,
#without word or sign.
81 81 believe they are all brutes, these
1ndians," said the good housewife, pet
Il tishly. "They don't appreciate kindness,
and are not thankful for it,"
q "You are mistaken, replied her husband.
Their ways are very different from ours,
81 and they school themselves to suppress
L their feelings; but they are capable of graft
y tude."
d "Indeed! And this fellow did not even
B say thank you.'"
.aHe couldn't speak it in English
laughed Danvers, aand if he had said it in
! Mohawk, you never would know what he
was talking about.
It was long before they saw their strange
guest again, but tokens of his remembrance
& and thankfulness were not wanting. One
i morning fine quarter of venison was
found at tho door; week nfter, there was
o wild turkey there; and later, great
muscalonge from the lake. Gifts of this
kind were frequent during The summer,
always coming in the same mysterious
manner, with no other trace of the donor
The last was a quantity of wild honey, cou-
tanned in n curious vessel of birch bark.
From this time the presents ceased; and
one day white man who had seen the
Indian while he lay sick at the cabin told
Mr.. Danyers that he had met him week
] before on his way west to join his tribe ut
the Grand River of Canada.
The pleasant autumn season was we'll
advanced, and Danvers was laboring hard
with his a1 to enlarge his little clearing
around the cabin. Often he took his boy
with him for company; and as he usually
worked in sight of the cabin, though some
times fifty rods away, Mrs. Danvers could
see her husband and child by stepping to
the door. Upon the memorable and sor-
rowful day which is now to be noticed, the
pioneer had gone deeper into the woods,
and was at work all the morning ont of
sight from the cabin. He came home at
noon, but his wife met him far from the
door.
"Where is Pick?" she asked.
3What--isn't he at home? He didn't go
with me. J left him near the house,
The child was missing, neither
of the parents had seen him for
moro than three hours. With white,
scared faces, and with fearful dread
clamoring at their hearts, they searched
the cabin, the clearing, and the woods
bordering it, And reused the echoes with
their cries ann shouts. He did not answer;
there was mol Sign nor trace of him. Totheir
nearest neiAhbor, two miles through the
forest, they Yent at once and told their
pitiful s!ory3 The neighbor had horse,
and he yolu8teeret; 10 carry the news TO all
the settlers u the vicinity at once. It was
done, and by Sunset fifty men with guns,
axes, and material for torches, assembled
at Danvers' cSbin. Dividing up into small
parties during the whole of that night
and the ne1t day they beat
she woods fcf len miles in every de
ssctien. Experienced hunters and wood
inenswere of the party, and they declared
afterwara That il alive, the child could not
have escaped nor concealed himself from
their soarch. Sadly and sorrowfully they
returned, tho last party arriving after mid
night Of Ito second night. The Guest was
utterly yair; no pr:nt of his foot, no shred
os his clothing, nothing that would dsnste